Modern urban wastewater treatment plant

Condition monitoring on low-speed bearings in the water industry

Rotating biological contactors (RBCs) play a vital part in the wastewater treatment process in British utility company Severn Trent Water's remote locations. This case study involves pilot measurements with handheld instrumentation on the main RBC bearings at some of the company's facilities.

To stay on top of the mechanical reliability of this critical application, Severn Trent Water needed a reliable monitoring solution and decided to try HD technology after earlier trials with other methods had been unsuccessful.

Over the course of the six-month trial with monthly SPM HD measurement, the two bearing damages in this case study were detected; one cracked outer race and one case of poor installation – both confirmed upon replacement.

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Case Study
Filename/description Language Size Modified
CS_030B_RBC_SevernTrentWater_UK.pdf English (United Kingdom) 9 MB 10/12/2021
This case study describes the process of determining the correct condition monitoring technique to monitor Rotating Biological Contactor (RBC) main bearings at 1 RPM.

SPM HD

SPM HD – high-definition shock pulse monitoring in a very broad RPM range, including ultra-low-speed applications (0.1 - 20 000 RPM range).

Leonova Emerald

The handheld data collector Leonova Emerald® is the ultimate frontline tool for maintenance engineers and technicians.

SPM Instrument UK receives large order for handheld condition monitoring equipment from Severn Trent Water

British public utility company Severn Trent Water has placed an order for thirty-eight Leonova Emerald data collectors and more than one thousand shock pulse adapters to monitor the mechanical condition of critical equipment in its wastewater treatment sites.